Device for conveying or transferring eggs

ABSTRACT

An egg transferring or collecting device for collecting eggs from several superimposed channels and conveying them to a single channel comprises a main vertical endless chain conveyor with a number of baskets in the form of multi-tine forks, the baskets being pivoted so as to occupy either a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;collect&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; position or a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;deliver&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; position, both positions being stable. On the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;up&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; moving side of the chain each basket is tipped to a collect position at a respective channel, and whether eggs are collected there or not, thereafter tipped to a deliver position. From this position eggs are collected at a collecting station during the downward movement of the chain and transferred to a belt conveyor.

United States Patent 1191 Michelbaeh Nov. 6, 1973 DEVICE FOR CONVEYING0R TRANSFERRING EGGS [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 22,1971 Germany P 21 57 774.2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1971 Carlier et a1198/177 2,858,763 11/1958 Bloom 198/157 1,086,398 2/1914 Renner 198/157FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 2,831 12/1904 Great Britain 198/156445,769 4/1936 Great Britain 198/156 Primary Examiner-Richard E.Aegerter Assistant ExaminerJoseph E. Valenza Attorney-Karl F. Ross [57]ABSTRACT An egg transferring or collecting device for collecting eggsfrom several superimposed channels and conveying them to a singlechannel comprises a main vertical endless chain conveyor with a numberof baskets in the form of multi-tine forks, the baskets being pivoted soas to occupy either a collect position or a deliver" position, bothpositions being stable. On the up moving side of the chain each basketis tipped to a collect position at a respective channel, and whethereggs are collected there or not, thereafter tipped to a deliverposition. From this position eggs are collected at a collecting stationduring the downward movement of the chain and transferred to a beltconveyor.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR CONVEYING OR TRANSFERRING EGGSThe present invention concerns a device for the conveyance or transferof eggs or the like small fragile objects, comprising an endlessconveyor chain, belt or the like circulating in a vertical plane ofrotation on which conveyor members are provided. These are formed byrake teeth parallel with each other and with the plane of circulation,said teeth rising through superposed delivery stations formed by furtherrake teeth extending towards the conveyor and descending through areceiving station including rake teeth extending towards the conveyor.

In a conventional device of this kind, the conveyor elements areoutwardly directed bars which are rigidly securedto the conveyor chain.These bars, extending radially outwardly, pivot about the upper guidepulley of the conveyor chain and the eggs resting on top of the barsroll from the top of the bar, by which they have been raised, onto theback of the bar located ahead of it in the direction of travel and onwhich they rest during the downward movement.

In the case of devices of the above-mentioned kind, the eggs can behandled very carefully as they are transferred from the delivery stationto the conveying baskets and from the conveying baskets to the receivingstation, since the teeth pass through each other during transfer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device of theabove-mentioned kind in such manner that the eggs can also be carefullytreated in the conveying members.

According therefore to the present invention there is provided a devicefor transferring eggs or like small fragile objects, said devicecomprising an endless conveyor chain, belt or the like which circulatesin a vertical plane and is provided with conveyor elements includingrake teeth which are parallel to each other and to the plane ofcirculation and, during the rising movement ofv the chain, pass throughthe bottoms of superimposed delivery stations, said bottoms being alsoformed or rake teeth parallel to the conveyor element teeth and pointingtowards the conveyor, the conveyor teeth passing through the bottoms ofa receiving station during the descending movement, formed of rake teethextending parallel thereto towards the conveyor, wherein the conveyorelements are conveyor baskets, each of which has a receiving compartmentand a delivery compartment, said compartments being inclined towardseach other approximately at right angles in the plane of circulation,open at the top, and formed by rake teeth, each tooth extending smoothlybetween both compartments, the conveyor baskets being each suspendedfrom the conveyor chain to pivot between stops about a horizontal axisextending perpendicularly to the plane of circulation, said pivotingmovement being between a receiving position in which the receivingcompartment extends approximately horizontally outwardly and thedelivery compartment approximately vertically upwardly, and a deliveryposition in which the receiving compartment extends approximatelyvertically upwardly and the delivery compartment approximatelyhorizontally outwardly, the pivoting action being effected by changeovercranks associated with the delivery stations which pivot selectedconveyor baskets forwardly into their receiving positions, before theappropriate associated delivery station is reached, and are pivoted backinto their delivery positions by stops after passing through theappropriate delivery station and before reaching the next deliverystation.

During their time on the transfer device the eggs remain on the samebasket bottom and slide and roll very gently on the rake teeth fromtheir receiving compartment into their delivery compartment, thismovement also being very gentle, because it extends only over a shortdistance, determined by the formation of the conveying baskets.

The invention also ensures that, during the transfer, several eggs donot simultaneously reach the same position on the same conveying basket,for as soon as a basket has passed through a delivery station to thereceiving position, and has received any egg therein, it'pivots into itsdelivery position in which it cannot receive any more eggs, even if itstill passes other delivery stations in which eggs are held ready.

According to a feature of the present invention displaceable changeoverswitches for pivoting forwardly are associated with a delivery stationand are operated synchronously for circulating the conveyor chain andreach their operating position effecting the forward pivoting only forselective baskets clearly associated with this delivery station. Eachbasket is therefore always associated with only one particular receivingstation and it moves into the receiving position only for this receivingstation. The existing baskets can be uniformly distributed over thedelivery stations; however, one or more delivery stations can befavourably influenced by being associated with a comparatively largenumber of baskets, which is preferable when these delivery stationsdeliver a very large quantity of eggs.

The displaceable changeover switch may be of magnetically operatedelement, but a mechanical formation of all the changeover switches issimpler and is characterised in that the changeover switches have crankmembers for the forwardly pivoting operation and are driven to rotate bya drive derived from the conveyor chain drive and that the changeoverswitches. for swinging back are stationary elements and that theseelements cooperate with adjusting levers which are secured to the basketand in the path of which they are disposed during the pivoting process.I

The present invention will be described in greater detail hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a conveyor transfer device according to thepresent invention, the side walls facing the viewer being omitted,

FIG. 2 is a partial section taken on the line II of FIG. 1, on asomewhat magnified scale, and

FIG. 3 viewed in the direction of the arrow III in FIG. 1, shows aconveying basket on the same scale as in FIG. 2;

According to FIG. 1, three delivery stations are indicated by 1, 2 and3; they are arranged one above the other at the ends of conveyor belts4, 5 and 6. The conveyor belts 4, 5, 6 have horizontal upper runs onwhich the eggs on a respective floor of a laying battery (not shown) areconveyed to an appropriate delivery station, In the drawings, only threedelivery stations are shown, but in practice more delivery stations maybe provided, one above the other. The delivery stations are located neartwo parallel conveyor chains 8, 9

which are driven in a vertical plane so as to circulate in the directionof the arrow 44 by a driving motor 7. Conveying baskets l 13, suspendedat uniform spaced intervals, hang from the conveying chains 8, 9. InFIG. 1, a total of only six such baskets are shown, but in practice manymore baskets, thirty for example, may be suspended from the conveyorchains. These baskets are identical with each other. As may be seen fromFIG. 3, the basket has a U-shaped carrying stirrup of wire of circularcross section, the free ends 16, 17 of which are angled and inserted inopenings l8, 19 in the links of the chains 8, 9. The openings 18, 19 arecircular and large enough so that the ends 16, 17 can rotate freelytherein. The stirrup hangs downward like a swing from the openings 18and 19 and can rock or swing about the axis 60 which is co-axial withthe axis of the openings 18, 19 and is parallel to the axles 65, 66 ofthe sprockets 20, 21. A tube 23 is slipped on the straight cross piece22 of the stirrup 15. It extends at both ends 24, 25 beyond the shanks26, 27 of the stirrup 15 and is provided there with incisions 28, 29 forthese shanks 26, 27 to limit the swinging movement of the tube 23 on thecross piece 22 about the swivel axis 61 cross piece. The movement islimited to an angle 62 of approximately 90, the edges of the tube actingas stops 63, 64 for the shank 26 located on the same side. Six curvedrake teeth over which plastic covers (not shown) are slipped, are weldedto the tube 23 so that they have a smooth surface which can be easilycleaned. Two adjusting arms 30, 73 are also welded to the tube 23 andbetween them subtend an angle of approximately 90, as may be seen inFIG. 1. The rake teeth 31-36 extend parallel to each other and to thegaps between the five rake teeth 37 41 of the delivery station 2. Theother delivery stations 1 and 3 also have five rake teeth, exactly thesame as the other delivery stations (not shown) and these five raketeeth are disposed exactly over the live rake teeth of the deliverystation 2. The rake teeth 31 36 are therefore parallel with the gaps ofthe rake teeth in all the delivery stations and this applies to all thebaskets, so that the rake teeth of the baskets can pass through anydelivery station.

The rake teeth 31 36 with the tube 23 form the bottom 67 of the basket10. It is divided into a receiving compartment 42 and a deliverycompartment 43 which merge uniformly into each other. In one endposition of the basket about the axis 61, (limited by the stop 64) inwhich position the basket 10 is shown in FIG. 1, the receivingcompartment 42 extends approximately horizontally, and slightly slantingin the direction of the arrow III. The baskets are balanced so that thebottom 67 is kept in this receiving position in which the basket 10 isshown, as long as it is not loaded. As soon as the basket 10, in thecourse of its rising movement in the direction of the arrow, passesupwardly through a delivery station 1, it receives in its receivingcompartment any egg 45 which has arrived from the conveyor belt 4, thisegg being held in a trough 46 at the delivery station 1. Owing to theinclined position of the receiving compartment 42 with respect to thedirection shown in FIG. 1, the egg then slides or rolls to the righttowards the delivery compartment 43 until the basket 47 becomesoverweighted and swings in the direction of the arrow 47 throughapproximately 90 into its delivery position which is defined by the stop63. The conveyor baskets 11 and 13 are shown in this delivery position,each loaded with an egg. In the receiving position, the receivingcompartment 42 extends approximately horizontally with the said slightdegree of slant, whilst the delivery compartment 43 extendsapproximately vertically, determined by the approximate right angle 62which is open at the top and which the two compartments 42 and 43subtend with each other. In the delivery position the receivingcompartment 42 extends approximately vertically upwardly, whilst thedelivery compartment 43 extends approximately horizontally to the right,relative to FIG. 1. Baskets loaded with eggs are all in this deliveryposition and in this position the delivery compartment 43 extendsthrough the five rake teeth of a delivery station 50 arranged tocoincide with the gaps in the path of the rake teeth 31 to 36, eachstation sloping slightly to the right with reference to FIG. 1. Hereeggs are rolled onto a conveyor belt moving at right angles to the planeof FIG. 1. The receiving station 50 is traversed by the deliverycompartments of the loaded baskets moving downwardly from top to bottom,so that the eggs can be removed from the loaded baskets by the raketeeth of the delivery station 50 and slide onto the belt 51 by whichthey can be conveyed away for packing.

An endless chain extends over two sprockets 81, 82. A further sprocket83 meshing with the conveyor chain 80 is fastened on the axle of thesprocket 81. The conveyor chain 80 is driven in the direction of thearrow 84 with a speed half that of the conveyor chains 8 and 9. Inaddition to the sprocket 82, other chain wheels 85, 86 are also driven.Cranks 87 89 which when in operation are driven by the chain 80 arefastened to the chain wheels 82, and 86, and rotate about axles parallelto the axles 65, 66, in an anticlockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1.With each rotation the ends 90, 91, 92 of the cranks pass once throughan operating position in which they are disposed in the path of theadjusting arm 30 of the conveyor baskets, provided an appropriate basketis in the delivery position. If a crank end comes into contact with anadjusting arm of a basket in the delivery position, this basket istilted into the receiving position. Each of the cranks 87 89 comes intothe operating position at the correct moment for every third basket, inorder to tilt the particular basket into the receiving position. Thecranks 87 89 are phased so that they come into action on differentbaskets. For each delivery station a crank 87, 88, 89 is provided justbelow the delivery station so that a basket pivoted forwardly passes theparticular delivery station in the receiving position. On the basis of30 conveyor baskets which are numbered from 1 to 30, and on the basis ofthree delivery stations 1 3, then the crank 87, for example, is onlyoperative in the case of those baskets whose ordinal number is divisibleby three, whilst the crank 88 is operative in the case of baskets, whoseordinal number is divisible by three with a remainder of one, and thecrank 89 is operative in the case of baskets whose ordinal number isdivisible by three with a remainder of 2. A return swivel pin 90 92 isprovided directly above each delivery station 1 3, in the path of theadjusting arm 73 of the baskets in the receiving position. If a basketin the receiv ing position moves upwardly past such a return swivel pin90 92, then the return swivel pin engages the adjusting arm 73 and/orthe corresponding adjusting arm of the other basket, and swings it outofits receiving position into its delivery position. If the basket isalready in the delivery position, the appropriate return pin 93 95 isineffective. In this manner the baskets are always in the deliveryposition as they circulate further, as shown by the baskets 11 and 13.Only just before a basket reaches the delivery station 1, 2 or 3 clearlyassociated therewith, is it pivoted by the appropriate crank 87, 88, 89into the receiving position to empty the particular station; directlyafterwards, before it can reach the next station, it is pivoted by thereturn pin 93, 94 or 95 back into the delivery position. Each basketpasses through only one delivery station 1, 2 or 3 in the receivingposition, and passes the others in the delivery position as itcirculates.

The device is assembled in a housing comprising two side walls 71, 72bent from shaped sheet metal, in which the shafts for the sprockets 20,21 and the shafts of the wheels 81, 82, 83 and the cranks 87, 88, 89 arejournalled. In addition, a total of four vertical inwardly open channels100 102 are formed in the profiled metal sheet, in which channels thefour lengths of the two conveyor chains 8 and 9 run. Deflections of theconveyor chain due to operational vibrations or transverse forcesexerted by the baskets, are thus limited. The return pins 93, 94 and 95are secured in one side wall 72.

I claim:

1. A device for transferring eggs or like small fragile objects, saiddevice comprising an endless conveyor chain which circulates in avertical plane, a plurality of conveyor elements with parallel raketeeth pivoted on said conveyor, a plurality of superimposed stationarydelivery stations with bottoms also formed of rake teeth parallel tosaid conveyor element teeth and pointing toward said conveyor, saidconveyor elements passing through said delivery stations during a risingmovement of said chain, a receiving station including rake teethextending parallel towards said conveyor chain, said conveyor elementteeth passing through said receiving station teeth during the chaindescending movement wherein said conveyor elements are conveyor baskets,each of which has a receiving compartment and a delivery compartment,said compartments being inclined towards each other approximately atright angles, open at the top and formed by said teeth, said conveyorbaskets being each suspended from said conveyor chain to pivot betweenstops about a horizontal axis extending perpendicularly to the plane ofcirculation of said chain, said pivoting movement being between areceiving position in which said receiving compartment extendsapproximately horizontally outwardly from said chain and said deliverycompartment extends approximately vertically upwardly, and a deliveryposition in which said receiving compartment extends approximatelyvertically upwardly and said delivery compartment approximatelyhorizontally outwardly, and changeover cranks associated with saiddelivery stations to pivot selected conveyor baskets forwardly intotheir receiving positions, before a respective delivery station isreached, stops to pivot said baskets back into their delivery positionsafter passing through said respective delivery station and beforereaching the next delivery station.

2. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said cranks are eachassociated with a respective delivery station, means for driving saidcranks synchronously with said conveyor chain to move into an operativeposition effecting said forward pivoting of selected conveyor basketsassociated with the respective delivery station.

3. A'device as recited in claim 2, wherein said cranks are driven by adrive derived from said conveyor chain, said stops being stationaryelements, and adjusting arms secured each to said conveyor basket andacted upon by said cranks and stops.

4. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein an empty conveyor basket isheld by its centre of gravity in its receiving position, said receivingcompartment forming, in said receiving position, an inclined planesloping towards said delivery compartment, said basket when loaded beingurged into a delivery position by a change in the position of saidcentre of gravity.

5. A device as recited in claim 3, wherein each conveyor basketcomprises a U-shaped carrier stirrup having free outwardly angled endsengaged in opposed members ofa double conveyor chain so as to allow saidbasket to swing about an axis coaxial with said angled ends, and a tubeslipped on the horizontal freely swinging straight cross-piece of saidcarrying stirrup, to which tube said rake teeth and said adjusting armsare secured, the tube projecting at least on one side beyond the ends ofsaid carrier stirrup,- to define a gap, and stops engaging in said gapto limit the rotation of said tube.

6. A device as recited in claim 5, wherein the links of said conveyorchain define circular openings therearound, said carrier stirrup beingbent from wire having a circular cross-section so as to be freelyrotatable in said openings.

1. A device for transferring eggs or like small fragile objects, saiddevice comprising an endless conveyor chain which circulates in avertical plane, a plurality of conveyor elements with parallel raketeeth pivoted on said conveyor, a plurality of superimposed stationarydelivery stations with bottoms also formed of rake teeth parallel tosaid conveyor element teeth and pointing toward said conveyor, saidconveyor elements passing through said delivery stations during a risingmovement of said chain, a receiving station including rake teethextending parallel towards said conveyor chain, said conveyor elementteeth passing through said receiving station teeth during the chaindescending movement wherein said conveyor elements are conveyor baskets,each of which has a receiving compartment and a delivery compartment,said compartments being inclined towards each other approximately atright angles, open at the top and formed by said teeth, said conveyorbaskets being each suspended from said conveyor chain to pivot betweenstops about a horizontal axis extending perpendicularly to the plane ofcirculation of said chain, said pivoting movement being between areceiving position in which said receiving compartment extendsapproximately horizontally outwardly from said chain and said deliverycompartment extends approximately vertically upwardly, and a deliveryposition in which said receiving compartment extends approximatelyvertically upwardly and said delivery compartment approximatelyhorizontally outwardly, and changeover cranks associated with saiddelivery stations to pivot selected conveyor baskets forwardly intotheir receiving positions, before a respective delivery station isreached, stops to pivot said baskets back into their delivery positionsafter passing through said respective delivery station and beforereaching the next delivery station.
 2. A device as recited in claim 1,wherein said cranks are each associated with a respective deliverystation, means for driving said cranks synchronously with said conveyorchain to move into an operative position effecting said forward pivotingof selected conveyor baskets associated with the respective deliverystation.
 3. A device as recited in claim 2, wherein said cranks aredriven by a drive derived from said conveyor chain, said stops beingstationary elements, and adjusting arms secured each to said conveyorbasket and acted upon by said cranks and stops.
 4. A device as recitedin claim 1, wherein an empty conveyor basket is held by its centre ofgravity in its receiving position, said receiving compartment forming,in said receiving position, an inclined plane sloping towards saiddelivery compartment, said basket when loaded being urged into adelivery position by a change in the position of said centre of gravity.5. A device as recited in claim 3, wherein each conveyor basketcomprises a U-shaped carrier stirrup having free outwardly angled endsengaged in opposed members of a double conveyor chain so as to allowsaid basket to swing about an axis coaxial with said angled ends, and atube slipped on the horizontal freely swinging straight cross-piece ofsaid carrying stirrup, to which tube said rake teeth and said adjustingarms are secured, the tube projecting at least on one side beyond theends of said carrier stirrup, to define a gap, and stops engaging insaid gap to limit the rotation of said tube.
 6. A device as recited inclaim 5, wherein the links of said conveyor chain define circularopenings therearound, said carrier stirrup being bent from wire having acircular cross-section so as to be freely rotatable in said openings.